Play pen



March 25, 1952 w. E. HAWLEY, JR 2,590,315

PLAY PEN Filed Dec. 4, 1948 INVENTOR.

Patented Mar. 25, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim. 1

Playpens are in common use for restraining small children without giving them personal attention.

The object of this invention is to provide a playpen that can be cheaply and easily made and assembled whenever it is desired to use it and then taken apart and stowed away.

Another object of the invention is to use the A well-known card table with folded legs as a part of the playpen. 7

Another object of the invention is to use the so-called card table in inverted form with the legs extended, the legs being used to hold up and in place the fabric that forms the sides and bottom of the playpen,

Another object of the invention is to form the "fabric that constitutes the four sides and bottom of the play pen, leaving the top open for light and air for the child.

Another object of the invention is to provide the upper corners of the fabric so formed with inverted pockets that will engage on the exposed ends of the table legs so that the fabric will be held in placeias the four sides of a play pen.

Another object of the invention is to form the fabric so that it can be easily removed from the card table and folded up into a small package.

These and other objects of the invention will be illustrated in the drawings, described in the specification and pointed out in the claim at the end thereof.

In the drawings like reference numerals indicate like parts.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a standard card table inverted or placed upside down with the legs standing upright from the table top which for the time being forms the base of a play pen.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of three sides of the fabric used in forming the playpen with the fabric fully extended at the top, the enclosure being viewed from the outside.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the same three sides of the fabric used in forming the play pen with the fabric turned down at the top on the outside of the play pen with inverted pockets formed at the corners thereof, it being understood that from Figures 2 and 3 the table and legs shown in, Figure 1 are omitted.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a modified form of the fabric of the playpen as it would appear at one corner and engaged with one of the table legs.

Figure 5 shows an L-shaped blank from which the play pen may be formed.

In the drawings reference numeral I indicates an ordinary card table having a table top 2 and legs 3, 4, 5 and I5 in their upright or extended position. These legs are pivoted on pivotsindicated at 1 and 8, etc. and are held in place by folding braces 9 and III. On these table legs is supported, a fabric II having four upright. sides l2, I3, I4 and I5, together with a bottom Ifiwhich is not shown in Figure l, but is shown in Figures 2 and 3.

In Figures 2 and 3 two of the upright sides I2 ,and I3 are shown, while the upright sides I4 and I5 are covered up being sufficiently shown in Figure l.

Figure 1 shows in perspective the play pen with the four upright sides and the open top, the bottom of the play pen being concealed by the sides I2 and I3.

Figures 2 and 3 show the fabric of the playpen extended and tilted up on the far cornerof the bottom to expose the bottom I6 and the two sides I2 and I3, the sides I4 and I5 being concealed by the sides I2 and I3 and the bottom I6.

It will also be understood that the table top and legs are omitted from Figures 2 and 3.

In Figure 2 the sides I2 and I3 are shown with a single thickness at the top, the excess portion I2a and I30; of the fabric being extended temporarily. The bottom of the extended portion and the top of the sides I2 and I3 being shown by the dotted lines I21) and I3b.

In Figure 3 I have shown the extended portions of the sides turned down on the outside as indicated at In and I311. forming a hem. The extended portions I201. and Illa. etc, that is, the four sides abnormally extend above the ends of the table legs, when turned down on the sides I2 and I3 etc. will be of substantially the same height as the legs of the table. In this way, a, double portion of the material is formed around the upper edge of the fabric, forming a reinforcement therefor.

At each of the four corners, the fabric is stitched up and down as indicated at 3a and 3b, 4a. and 4b, 5a and 5b, and 6a and 61) forming pockets therein on the outside of playpen fabric. These pockets are closed at the top and open at the bottom. In these pockets the ends of the tablelegs can be inserted so that the fabric at the four corners is held in an upright position inside of the table legs.

The bottom I6 of the play pen formed in this way should preferably be waterproof and can be of any, suitable waterproof material. The sides of the pen can be of the same material or can be of transparent materialor material that is woven with an open mesh so that the child can be seen through the sides thereof. The top is preferably left open to admit light and air.

In Figure 4 I have shown a modified form of one of the upright corners of the playpen. In this case the downturned portion constituting the hem |2a and [3a is made narrower and to lengthen the engagement between each leg and its corner of the fabric, straps 20 and 2| are attached to the fabric at their ends, between which straps and the fabric the leg 4 can pass for the purpose of engaging with and supporting the sides of the playpen.

The fabric can be formed of five separate rectangular pieces, the bottom piece being preferably square to conform to the shape of the top of a card table or the fabric can be formed of one long rectangular piece with the bottom annexed thereto n the side at one end that is L-shaped or in any other suitable manner. The edges can be joined together in any suitable manner.

It will also be understood that between the bottom I6 of the playpen and the top of the card table, some temporary cushioning material should be interposed.

It will also be understood that the fabric of this playpen can be removed from the card table and folded up and carried around in a small package and used interchangeably on several different card tables.

It will also be understood that instead of the table and four legs, four upright stakes can be suitably driven in the ground or inserted in holes in the floor and the play pen fabric can be supported between them.

I claim:

A flexible fabric play pen forming enclosure, for forming a play pen in conjunction with an upended four leg rectangular table of the folding card table type, comprising a, rectangular fabric bottom and four rectangular fabric side walls, said adjacent side walls being connected along the entire length of the respective corners formed thereby and said side walls being connected to said bottom along the entire perimeter thereof, said side walls having a substantial portion of the upper ends thereof turned over outwardly and overlying the upper portions of the remainder of said side walls, the turned over portion extending downwardly over the remainder at least a third of the width of the remainder, and said turned over portions being secured to said upper portions along vertical lines spaced from. but adjacent to said corners on opposite sides thereof, whereby to form four relatively deep vertical pockets to receive the legs of said table, said pockets being of a length equal to the width of the turned over portions and said pockets being the sole means for securing said play pen enclosure upon an upended table, the upturned portion of said side walls being of a height commensurate with the leg length and said bottom being dimensioned commensurate with the spacing between the legs of the table to which the flexible enclosure is adapted.

WILLIAM EARL HAW'LE'Y, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 92,364: Rider July 6, 1869 1,950,603 Fischer Mar. 13, 1934 2,386,721 Sedita Oct. 9, 1945 2,464,866 Holtz Mar. 22, 1949 2,537,903 Markowitz Jan. 9, 1951 

